Field
Example aspects described herein relate generally to obtaining images in a dental environment, and, more particularly, to a method, system, apparatus, and computer program for 3D acquisition and caries detection.
Description of Related Art
In dentistry, diagnostic and treatment tasks utilize different devices. In treatment planning, 3-D cameras are often used to acquire 3-D contour data of a tooth and the surrounding dentition. The 3-D contour data is used in the preparation and placement of dental crowns, inlays, onlays, and other restorations. For diagnosis tasks, many optical technologies are used to detect the presence of dental decay. Existing devices and technologies used for treatment planning and diagnosis of dental decay are distinct and separate devices.
In the field of 3-D dental cameras, technologies known in the art include, for example, triangulation, color-coded pattern 3-D imaging, confocal imaging, and chromatic confocal imaging.
A 3-D camera is disclosed in the publication by J. Pfeiffer et al., entitled “Dreidimensionale Optische Vermessung von Zähnen”, Technisches Messen: Sensoren, Geräte, Systeme [Metrology: Sensors, Devices, Systems], June 1996, pp. 254-261.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,464 describes a 3-D camera system which utilizes phase-shifting triangulation for determining height or depth differences of the surface structure of an object.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,035 describes a 3-D camera system which utilizes color-coding pattern technology to determine height or depth differences of the surface structure of an object.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,164 describes a 3-D camera system based on confocal imaging for determining height or depth differences of the surface structure of an object.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0075425 describes a chromatic confocal imaging technology for determining height or depth differences of the surface structure of an object.
Distinct from the 3-D imaging technologies, a variety of other optical technologies are commercially available to enable the diagnosis of dental decay. Examples of such diagnostic technologies include fiber-optic transillumination, quantitative light-induced fluorescence, and optical coherence tomography. Some of these are described in the journal article by I. Pretty, entitled “Caries Detection and Diagnosis: Novel Technologies”, Journal of Dentistry, Volume 34, 2006, pp. 733-39.